St. Landry democrat., 1887-08-13
GEN. NICHOLAS COURSE
In the Dark Days Endorsed by Demo
cratic Senate and Democratic
People.
Cor. Shreveport Times,

The administration press OF the State,
finding no vulnerable point OF attack
in the record of Nichols as an indivi-
dual. citizen, soldier, a statesman,
have united in the elamorous howl that
while governor, he appointed some ne
groes and some Republicans to office.
There are to this puny charge two per-
feet answers.
l. The official journals of the Senate
will show that his appointments We're
confirmed by a Democratic Senate,
which bore on its roll the names Of
such Democrats as Henry l.. Garland,
f. 5. Goode, e. J. Boatner, Hardy Rich
ardson, Louis Texada, James B. Eustis
F. p Stubbs, DR.. l.. 6. Perkln, F. C..
Zacharie, II. ID. Ogden, w. A. Robert
son, T, d, White and others. If Nich-
oils sinned, then were AL OF our Demo
cratic State senators sinners. 2. Every
true man in this State knows well that
the representatives of the Democratic
party of Louisiana, pressed upon the
one side, by usurpatOry State govern
ment backed by the ignorant negro
vote, and On the other by the Federal
administration, of which Gen. Grant
was the civil as well as military head
was under tho dire necessity of making
concessions, and resorting to expe-
dents of the character now under re-
view. What have not our people been
compelled to do in the hope of freeing
their State and themselves from the
horrors of reconstruction and the
nightmare of Radical domination
In 1865 did we not support j. Madi-
son Wells for governor? And in 1868
Judge ]. G. TaliaferrO In 1872 did
the Democratic party not make an al
lance with Gov. Warmoth 7 Wvre not
Armstead and Sella Martin, colored
men placed upon the Democratic ticket
and voted for7 Did we not vote for
Horace Greeley in 1872, and in 1913 did
not the McEnery Legislature, strng
Cling for the existence OF the de lure
State government, elect Gen. W. l..
Mcmillan, Radical Republican, to the
United States Senate1 Have not our
people, in their efforts to control their
local affairs, been forced time and
again to make combinations in local
elections with the negro voters In
the bitterness of our distress, what
have we not done, and justltiably done.
to rescue ourselves from the Calling
woke of our oppressorsf The very
men who are now bowling themselves
hoarse with these charges at Francis
T. Nichols, that heroic man who was
the first to break the power of Radical
Republican rule in Louisiana, and de-
liver his people from the bondage they
were in from 1867 to 1877, know full
we'll these historic facts, and that the
whole body of the white people of the
State had assisted in all OF the com OIL
nations above referred to in the hope
of deliverance.
And in 1877, after the Nichols gov
ernment had wrested the Supreme
Court from Packard, aud We were 60
ing through that peNod of fearful sns-
pense, imposed by President Grant
upon both the rival claimants for con
tlol of the State government, when
Packards Legislature was daily as
sembled at the regular legislative hall,
and the Nichols Legislature at another
place in New Orleans, who does not
know that the question became one of
endurance on the one hand, and of dis
Indignation on the other, and that, in
consequence, the whole issue depended
upon the Nichols government being
able to draw from Packard, members of
the Legislature who had been elected,
and also were adhering to the Packard
government!
Who does not remember the thrill of
delight that swept over our State when
Pinchback and T. T. Allan, and other
representative colored men in and out
of the Legislature abandoned Packard
and Joined the people under Governor
Nichols? Who does not remembe
the exultation of all our people, when
Allan and Pinchback, at the grandest
mass meeting ever held in New Orleans,
spoke from the same platform at La
fayette square with Thomas j. Semmes
and Judge Charles E. Fenner in sup
port of the Dem ocratlc government
headed by Governor Methodist
AS if, IN recognition of these services
of colored Republicans, Gov. Nichols,
bv and with the advice and conferred
appointments at that time and under
those circumstances upon few men of
this class. that action met the approval
of the true men of the State as being
eminently wise, Just and proper.
But this fair minded State admins
tration coterie of editors and politi-
clans do not tell who were appointed by
Governor Nichols to the high places
within his gift. They do not tell of
Manning and Egan and Spencer and
Mari and Deblanc and White as judges,
or of Alfred Roman as clerk of the
Supreme Court, or of Richard as tax
collector, Of Charles Cavanac, as regis
ter of voters, or of John McEnery and
Davidson B. Penn, as recorder of mort
cages and conveyances. or of Commo-
dore Hunter, as harbor master, or of the
long list of true and tried democrats
whom he appointed to fill the varions
positions of trust and honor throughout
the State.
But Mr.. Editor, the people have not
forgotten the record, and they are rail-
lying to the right. The State admins
tration followers will be recollected as
chaff before the wind, for the stars
have said it," Francis T. Nichols will
be the next governor of Louisiana.
June "a, 1887. EPSILON.